Supply method and supply apparatus of semi-solid metal

ABSTRACT

A supply apparatus supplies a semi-solid metal to a molding apparatus having an injection sleeve formed with an opening portion and a plunger provided progressively/regressively at an inner portion of the injection sleeve. The supply apparatus includes a crucible in a shape of a cylinder containing a semi-solid metal, a carry arm for grabbing to move the crucible, and a control apparatus for controlling the carry arm. The control apparatus inserts a front end portion of a gutter mounted to the crucible into the opening portion of the injection sleeve by a predetermined angle to inject the semi-solid metal to a side of a direction of advancing the plunger more than at a position formed with the opening portion at inside of the injection sleeve.

This application claims foreign priority from Japanese PatentApplication No. 2007-068468 filed on Mar. 16, 2007, the entire contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a supply method and a supply apparatusof a semi-solid metal.

2. Related Art

JP-B2-3211754 discloses a method of preparing a semi-solid metal(slurry) in a solid-liquid coexisting state by cooling a metal in amolten state of aluminum or magnesium, or alloys of these or the likeand producing a metal molded product by using the semi-solid metal.

According to the method shown in JP-B2-3211754, there is used a moldingapparatus including an injection sleeve formed with an opening portion,and a plunger provided progressively/regressively at inside of theinjection sleeve. Specifically, first, a semi-solid metal is suppliedfrom the opening portion to the injection sleeve. Next, the semi-solidmetal supplied to the injection sleeve is extruded by the plunger to beinjected into a die connected to the injection sleeve. Next, thesemi-solid metal injected into the die is cooled to solidify thesemi-solid metal. A metal molded product in accordance with a shape ofan inner portion of the die can be fabricated as described above.

Meanwhile, a viscosity of the above-described semi-solid metal is higherthan that of the metal in the molten state. Therefore, a force which isgoing to maintain a current shape is large. Therefore, when a pressforce is applied in extruding the semi-solid metal by the plunger, thesemi-solid metal is applied with a stress in a direction opposed to adirection of the press force to maintain the current shape. Therefore,the semi-solid metal is squeezed by the press force and the stress toconsiderably deform, and there is a case of jumping out from the openingportion of the injection sleeve to outside. As a result, a step ofremoving the jumped semi-solid metal is needed to pose a problem that aproduction step cannot be made to be efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a supply methodand a supply apparatus of a semi-solid metal capable of preventing thesemi-solid metal from jumping out.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, ina supply method of a semi-solid metal of the invention for supplying thesemi-solid metal to a molding apparatus having an injection sleeveformed with an opening portion, and a plunger progressively/regressivelyprovided at an inner portion of the injection sleeve, the supply methodis provided with a first step of producing the a semi-solid metal from amolten metal at an inner portion of a vessel in a shape of a cylinder,and a second step of supplying the semi-solid metal contained in thevessel to the inner portion of the injection sleeve by inserting a frontend of the vessel into the opening portion of the injection sleeve by apredetermined angle. At the second step, the semi-solid metal isinjected to a side in a direction of advancing the plunger more than atthe opening portion.

According to this case, the front end of the vessel is inserted into theopening portion of the injection sleeve by the predetermined angle andthe semi-solid metal is injected to the side in the direction ofadvancing the plunger more than the opening portion by way of the frontend of the vessel. Therefore, even when the semi-solid metal is extrudedby the plunger, the semi-solid metal can be prevented from jumping outfrom the opening portion.

A gutter may be provided on a front end side of the vessel, and at thesecond step, a front end of the gutter may be inserted into the openingportion by the predetermined angle and the semi-solid metal may beinjected from the front end of the gutter.

According to this case, the front end side of the vessel is providedwith the gutter, the semi-solid metal is injected from the front end ofthe gutter, and therefore, the semi-solid metal can smoothly be suppliedto the inner portion of the injection sleeve by increasing a flow rateof the semi-solid metal.

The gutter may be configured to be attachable and detachable to and fromthe vessel.

When the semi-solid metal is produced from the molten metal at the innerportion of the vessel, it is necessary to cast the molten metal to thevessel and stir the molten metal. However, when the vessel is providedto the gutter, the molten metal is stirred by inserting a stir rod fromthe front end of the gutter, and therefore, it is difficult to uniformlystir the molten metal.

Hence, if the gutter is made to be attachable and detachable to and fromthe vessel, the gutter does not constitute a hindrance when the moltenmetal is stirred and the molten metal can uniformly be stirred.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, ina supply apparatus of a semi-solid metal of the invention for supplyingthe a semi-solid metal to a molding apparatus having an injection sleeveformed with an opening portion, and a plunger progressively/regressivelyprovided at an inner portion of the injection sleeve, the supplyapparatus is provided with a vessel in a shape of a cylinder containingthe semi-solid metal, a carry arm for grabbing to move the vessel, and acontrolling apparatus for controlling the carry arm. The controlapparatus inserts a front end of the vessel into the opening portion ofthe injection sleeve by a predetermined angle and injects the semi-solidmetal contained in the vessel on a side in a direction of advancing theplunger more than at the opening portion.

According to this case, an effect similar to the above-described effectfor the method is achieved.

The carry arm may include a gutter capable of being connected to thevessel, and the controlling apparatus may connect the gutter to thevessel, insert a front end of the gutter into the opening portion by apredetermined angle and inject the semi-solid metal from the front endof the gutter.

According to this case, the gutter can be connected to the vessel bygrabbing the vessel by the carry arm, and therefore, an effect similarto the above-described effect is achieved.

The gutter may be constituted by a shape of a groove.

According to this case, the gutter is constituted by the shape of thegroove, and therefore, in comparison with the case in which the gutteris constituted by a shape of a cylinder, the atmosphere is easy to flowsmoothly to the inner portion of the vessel and the semi-solid metal cansmoothly be injected from the vessel.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the frontend of the vessel is inserted into the opening portion of the injectionsleeve by the predetermined angle and the semi-solid metal is injectedto the side in the direction of advancing the plunger more than at theopening portion by way of the front end of the vessel. Therefore, evenwhen the semi-solid metal is extruded by the plunger, the semi-solidmetal can be prevented from jumping out from the opening portion.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a supply apparatus and a moldingapparatus supplied with a semi-solid metal by the supply apparatusaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gutter provided at the supplyapparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a crucible and a stirrer provided to thesupply apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a procedure of subjecting a semi-solidmetal to injection molding by using the supply apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a procedure of subjecting the semi-solidmetal to injection molding by using the supply apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a crucible and a stirrer according to amodified example of embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a crucible and a stirrer according to amodified example of the embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in referencedto the drawings as follows.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a supply apparatus 10 and a moldingapparatus 30 supplied with a semi-solid metal by the supply apparatus 10according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The molding apparatus 30 includes an injection sleeve 31 in acylindrical shape, and a plunger 32 provided progressively/regressivelyat inside of the injection sleeve 31.

The injection sleeve 31 is connected to a die, not illustrated. An upperface of the injection sleeve 31 is formed with an opening portion 31A.

When the semi-solid metal is supplied from the opening portion, themolding apparatus 30 injects the semi-solid metal from a front end ofthe injection sleeve into the die by making the plunger 32 progress.

The supply apparatus 10 includes a crucible 11 in a shape of a cylinder,a carry arm 13 carrying to move the crucible 11, and a control apparatus14 for controlling the carry arm 13. Further, although in FIG. 1, thecrucible 11 in the shape of the circular cylinder is illustrated, acrucible in a shape of a square cylinder will do. The circular cylindershape is simply fabricated and easy to stir a molten metal stored atinside of the crucible by a cooling block 121 (refer to FIG. 3) to bealong an inner wall of the crucible 11.

The carry arm 13 is a movable arm of an articulated robot a wholecontent of which is not illustrated, and the articulated robot includes6 axes of movable shafts and includes an arm 137 and a hand 136.

The hand 136 is pivoted centering on a rod 138 relative to the arm 137by way of a rod 138, or relatively rocked by constituting a base pointby a base end side of the rod 138. The hand 136 is provided with agutter 131 an upper half of which is opened.

Further, although an example of 6 axes of the articulated robot is shownas an example as described above, there may be constituted moving meansincluding a moving unit moving in 3 axes orthogonal to each other, thatis, X axis-Y axis-Z axis, including the rod having the function ofpivoting and rocking at a front end, and having the hand 136 on a frontend side of the rod.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gutter 131.

The gutter 131 includes a gutter main body 132 in a groove shape, and afront end portion 134 in a groove shape provided at a front end of thegutter main body 132.

An inner diameter of the front end portion 134 is made to be smallerthan an inner diameter of the gutter main body 132. A taper portion 132is constituted between the gutter main body 132 and the front endportion 134.

The gutter 131 is made to be attachable and detachable to and from thecrucible 11 and is mounted to the crucible 11 when the crucible 11 isgrabbed by the hand 136.

The semi-solid metal is contained in the crucible 11. The semi-solidmetal is produced from a molten metal comprising a molten metal ofaluminum or magnesium, or alloys of these or the like by using a stirrer12. Further, the crucible 11 provided to a production line offabricating the semi-solid metal is a bottomed heat insulating cruciblesupplied with an amount of 1 shot of a molten metal of the moldingapparatus 30.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stirrer 12.

The stirrer 12 is for cooling and stirring the molten metal at inside ofthe crucible 11 and includes the cooling block (cooling member) 121 at apreviously set temperature, a rotation drive source 122 for driving torotate the cooling block 121, and a moving mechanism 125 for moving thecooling block 121 and the rotation drive source 122 on a horizontal facelongitudinally and transversely, for example, moving in X, Y axisdirections. That is, the cooling block 121 and the rotation drive source122 are moved while being supported by a support member, notillustrated, specifically, a moving unit moved in X, Y axis directionshaving support rails orthogonal to each other, or an articulated robotof about 3 through 6 axes, not illustrated, or the like. The movingmechanism 125 is a moving mechanism for horizontally moving the coolingblock 121 and the rotation drive source 122.

The cooling block 121 is constituted by a shape of a square pillar andis provided with a draft from a base end to a front end thereof.Further, an outer shape of the cooling block 121 may be constituted by apolygonal shape having one or more of corners, a faced polygonal shapehaving 3 or more of corners, a shape of an ellipse, or a shape of acompounded ellipse, thereby, a vortex is easy to be generated instirring the molten metal, a stirring capacity can be promoted, and acrystal can be prevented from being produced at the inner wall of theheat insulating crucible. The cooling block 121 is constituted by amaterial which is not melted by the molten metal, and a temperaturethereof is controlled by a temperature control portion, not illustrated.

The rotation drive source 122 is connected to the base end of thecooling block 121 by way of a rotating shaft 123 and a coupler 124 madeof a ceramic for driving to rotate the cooling block 121 centering onthe rotating shaft 123. The coupler 124 made of a ceramic is provided tothe rotation drive source 122 to be able to remove the cooling block121.

The moving mechanism 125 moves the cooling block 121 and the rotationdrive source 122 in a vertical direction and moves the cooling block 121and the rotation drive source 122 in a spiral shape in a narrow mark Bdirection in FIG. 3 on a horizontal plane. That is, the molten metalstored at inside of the crucible is cooled by way of the cooling block121 cooled to a predetermined temperature equal to or lower than atemperature of the molten metal, and an amount of 1 shot of the moltenmetal is stirred in a horizontal direction to be along the crucible 11and separated from the crucible 11 by the cooling block 121 whilerotating the cooling block 121. Further, the cooling block 121 may bemoved in a spiral shape in a horizontal direction. Thereby, the moltenmetal can effectively be stirred by hampering a directionality ofcooling as less as possible. When moved in the spiral shape in thehorizontal direction, the directionality of cooling can further behampered as less as possible and the molten metal can swiftly bestirred.

An explanation will be given of a procedure of subjecting the semi-solidmetal to injection molding by using the supply apparatus 10.

First, the molten metal is supplied to the crucible 11, and the coolingblock 121 is dipped into the molten metal at inside of the crucible 11by moving the cooling block 121 and the rotation drive source 122 in avertical lower direction by rotating the cooling block 121 at apreviously set temperature by a comparatively low speed centering on therotating shaft 123 by the rotation drive source 122 of the stirrer 12.Next, a speed of rotating the cooling block 121 is increased by therotation drive source 122 and the cooling block 121 and the rotationdrive source 122 are moved in the spiral shape by the moving mechanism125. Thereby, the molten metal is cooled and stirred swiftly.

Next, after stirring the amount of 1 shot to be separated from thecrucible 11 in the horizontal direction to be along the crucible 11 by apreviously determined time period, the cooling block 121 is pulled upfrom the molten metal at inside of the crucible 11 by moving the coolingblock 121 and the rotation drive source 122 in a vertical upperdirection by the moving mechanism 125 while rotating the cooling block121 by the rotation drive source 122. Thereby, the molten metal atinside of the crucible 11 becomes a semi-solid metal maintained at aconstant temperature as a whole.

Next, as shown by FIG. 4, the semi-solid metal is supplied into theinjection sleeve 31 by grabbing the crucible 11 containing thesemi-solid metal by the hand 136 of the carry arm 13 of an articulatedrobot or the like, not illustrated, and inserting the front end portion134 of the gutter 131 mounted to the crucible 11 into the openingportion 31A of the injection sleeve 31 by a predetermined angle(arbitrary angle). Thereby, as shown by FIG. 5, the semi-solid metal atinside of the crucible 11 is injected from the front end portion 134 ofthe gutter 131 to a side in a direction of advancing the plunger 32,that is, a side in an arrow mark A direction in FIG. 5 more than at aposition formed with the opening portion 31A at inside of the injectionsleeve 31.

Thereafter, the semi-solid metal supplied to inside of the injectionsleeve 31 is extruded in the arrow mark A direction in FIG. 5 by theplunger 32 and is injected to a die, not illustrated.

Further, the cooling block 121 after having been pulled up from themolten metal is first dipped into a cooling layer, not illustrated, tocarry out a cooling treatment. Next, the cooling block 121 is subjectedto an air blow treatment, removed of a solidified object of thesemi-solid metal adhered to a surface of the cooling block 121,thereafter, coated with a ceramic material on the surface and issubjected to a drying treatment by drying means, not illustrated.Thereby, the surface of the cooling block 121 is prevented from reactingwith the molten metal, and removal of the solidified object of theadhered to the surface of the cooling block 121 is facilitated.

According to the exemplary embodiment, the following effect is achieved.

-   (1) The crucible 11 is grabbed by the carry arm 13 and the gutter    131 is mounted to the crucible 11. Further, the front end portion    134 of the gutter 131 is inserted into the opening portion 31A of    the injection sleeve 31 by the predetermined angle, and the    semi-solid metal at inside of the crucible 11 is injected from the    front end portion 134 of the gutter 131 to the side in the direction    of advancing the plunger 32 more than at the position formed with    the opening portion 31A at inside of the injection sleeve 31.    Therefore, even when the semi-solid metal is extruded by the plunger    32, the semi-solid metal can be prevented from jumping out from the    opening portion 31A.-   (2) The gutter 131 is made to be attachable and detachable to and    from the crucible 11, the semi-solid metal is injected from the    front end portion 134 of the gutter 131, and therefore, the    semi-solid metal can smoothly be supplied to the inner portion of    the injection sleeve 31 by increasing a flow rate of the semi-solid    metal.-   (3) The gutter 131 is attachable and detachable to and from the    crucible 11, and the gutter is mounted to a vessel by grabbing the    vessel by the carry arm. Therefore, when the molten metal at inside    of the crucible 11 is stirred by the stirrer 12, the gutter 131 does    not constitute a hindrance by detaching the gutter 131 from the    crucible 11, and the molten metal can uniformly be stirred. Further,    when the molten metal is supplied to the crucible 11, the gutter 131    does not constitute a hindrance by detaching the gutter 131 from the    crucible 11, and the molten metal can easily be supplied.-   (4) The gutter 131 is provided in the groove shape, and therefore,    in comparison with a case in which the gutter 131 is constituted by    a shape of a cylinder, when the semi-solid metal at inside of the    crucible 11 is supplied to the injection sleeve 31 by way of the    gutter 131, the atmosphere smoothly flows to the inner portico of    the crucible 11, and the semi-solid metal can smoothly be injected    from the crucible 11.

Further, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodimentbut the invention includes a modification, an improvement or the likewithin a range of capable of achieving the object of the invention.

Although according to the above-described exemplary embodiment, themolten metal at inside of the crucible 11 is cooled and stirred bymoving the cooling block 121 and the rotation drive source 122 of thestirrer 12 in the spiral shape by the moving mechanism 125, theinvention is not limited thereto.

For example, as shown by FIG. 6, a crucible 11A is constituted by ashape of a parallelepiped, cooling blocks 121A and 121B and rotationdrive sources 122A and 122B of a stirrer 12A may reciprocally be movedin a longitudinal direction (arrow mark C direction in FIG. 6 of thecrucible 11A by a moving mechanism 125A to thereby cool and stir themolten metal at inside of the crucible 11A.

That is, the rotation drive source 122A is connected to a base end ofthe cooling block 121A by way of a rotating shaft 123A and a coupler124A to drive to rotate the cooling block 121A centering on the rotatingshaft 123A. The coupler 124A made of a ceramic is provided to therotation drive source 122A to be able to remove the cooling block 121A.

On the other hand, the rotation drive source 122B is connected to a baseend of the cooling block 121B by way of a rotating shaft 123B and acoupler 124B made of a ceramic to drive to rotate the cooling block 121Bcentering on the rotating shaft 123B. The coupler 124B made of a ceramicis provided to the rotation drive source 122B to be able to remove thecooling block 121B.

The moving mechanism 125A moves the cooling blocks 121A and 121B and therotation drive sources 122A and 122B in the vertical direction andreciprocally moves the cooling blocks 121A and 121B and the rotationdrive sources 122A and 122B in the arrow mark C direction in FIG. 6.

Further, as shown by FIG. 7, a cooling block 121C and a rotation drivesource 122C of a stirrer 12B may reciprocally be moved in a verticaldirection (arrow mark D direction in FIG. 7) by a moving mechanism 125Band the molten metal at inside of the crucible 11B may be cooled andstirred.

That is, the rotation drive source 122C is connected to a base end ofthe cooling block 121C by way of a rotating shaft 123C and a coupler124C made of a ceramic to drive to rotate the cooling block 121Ccentering on the shaft 123C. The coupler 124C made of a ceramic isprovided to the rotation drive source 122C to be able to remove thecooling block 121C centering on the rotating shaft 123C.

The moving mechanism 125B reciprocally moves the cooling block 121C andthe rotation drive source 122C in the arrow mark D direction of FIG. 7.

While description has been made in connection with specific embodimentand examples of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled inthe art that various changes and modification may be made thereinwithout departing from the present invention.

It is aimed, therefore, to cover in the appended claims all such changesand modifications falling within the true spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS

-   10 . . . supply apparatus-   11, 11A, 11B . . . crucibles-   12, 12A, 12B . . . stirrers-   13 . . . carry arm-   14 . . . control apparatus-   30 . . . molding apparatus-   31 . . . injection sleeve-   31A . . . opening portion-   32 . . . plunger-   131 . . . gutter

1. A supply method of a semi-solid metal for supplying the semi-solidmetal to a molding apparatus having an injection sleeve formed with anopening portion and a plunger progressively/regressively provided at aninner portion of the injection sleeve, the supply method comprising: afirst step of producing the semi-solid metal from a molten metal at aninner portion of a vessel in a shape of a cylinder; and a second step ofsupplying the semi-solid metal in the vessel to the inner portion of theinjection sleeve by inserting a front end of the vessel into the openingportion of the injection sleeve by an arbitrary angle; wherein at thesecond step, the semi-solid metal is injected to a side in a directionof advancing the plunger more than at the opening portion.
 2. The supplymethod according to claim 1, wherein a gutter is provided on a front endside of the vessel; and wherein at the second step, a front end of thegutter is inserted into the opening portion by the arbitrary angle andthe semi-solid metal is injected from the front end of the gutter. 3.The supply method according to claim 2, wherein the gutter is configuredto be attachable and detachable to and from the vessel.
 4. A supplyapparatus of a semi-solid metal for supplying the semi-solid metal to amolding apparatus having an injection sleeve formed with an openingportion and a plunger progressively/regressively provided at an innerportion of the injection sleeve, the supply apparatus comprising: avessel in a shape of a cylinder for containing the semi-solid metal; acarry arm for grabbing and moving the vessel; and a controllingapparatus for controlling the carry arm; wherein the control apparatusinserts a front end of the vessel into the opening portion of theinjection sleeve by an arbitrary angle and injects the semi-solid metalin the vessel on a side in a direction of advancing the plunger morethan at the opening portion.
 5. The supply apparatus according to claim4, wherein the carry arm includes a gutter capable of being connected tothe vessel; wherein the controlling apparatus connects the gutter to thevessel, inserts a front end of the gutter into the opening portion bythe arbitrary angle, and injects the semi-solid metal from the front endof the gutter.
 6. The supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein thegutter is constituted by a shape of a groove.